


Sunny Sundays

by TheCreatorOfTales



Series: A New Bed [3]
Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: Breakfast in Bed, Daphne loves her people, Daphne's such a good dog, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Happy Ending, Homophobia, Sappy Sapphics, Swearing, These two are stylish individuals and nothing can convince me otherwise., You wanna be homophobic? You gonna catch these hands, You wanted a Part 3! Here you go!, but Joan shuts that shit right down, its australia, of course there's swearing, soft sapphics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:48:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28883412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCreatorOfTales/pseuds/TheCreatorOfTales
Summary: Here's a part 3 that was requested!Joan and Vera enjoy a morning in the park with Daphne, until Fletch arrives and tries to cause an issue.
Relationships: Vera Bennett/Joan Ferguson
Series: A New Bed [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063016
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	Sunny Sundays

**Author's Note:**

> *There is a homophobic slur in here, but Joan shuts that shit down.*  
> Albert Park is a real place in Melbourne! I did some serious research for good dog parks in the city for this one!

It was a glorious feeling to wake up knowing that there was two blissful days stretching out in front of you, with no work.

After a week from hell, they had managed to wrangle the two days with Will being happy to keep a watchful eye over the prison. It wasn’t so odd for the Governor and her deputy to have aligning days off anymore, they’d managed to convince people that it was so Linda and Will could build experience in running things.

Vera had woken that morning to sunshine streaming in through the crack in the curtains, and with Daphne snoring by Vera’s head. Vera had been curled around Joan, with an arm around her waist, and usually that was a very lovely sight to wake up to. However, the fur directly in front of her nose was not.

“Daphne!” She whispered, and the dog’s snoring stopped midway through her intake of breath.

“Move!”

Daphne didn’t move, except to shift her head in Vera’s direction.

All she did after this was put her head back on the pillow and shut her eyes again.

“For God’s sake!” Vera mumbled under her breath, and unhappily moving the arm from around Joan’s waist to reach up, pick Daphne up and gently deposit her at the bottom of the bed. Vera then went back to cuddling up to her girlfriend’s body, hoping that she hadn’t woken her. Daphne trampled around at the bottom of the bed, huffing, until dropping onto her stomach and going back to sleep.

Vera presses her body closer to Joan’s, clutching at her waist and closing her eyes, hoping to be able to fall back to sleep. Joan was still breathing deeply.

After about ten minutes, Vera decides that more sleep simply isn’t going to happen.

Carefully, she unwinds her arm from around Joan’s waist and shuffles backwards, so she can get out of bed. Daphne raises her head, in curiosity as Vera grabs the silk robe from the chair in the corner, and wraps it around her body. It’s one of Joan’s that she ‘borrows’ on a regular basis. On silent feet, she gathers the pajamas that had been thrown off the night before from the floor, in the heat of the moment when the two women had simply needed the garments off of their bodies to carry on with exploring each other and reconnecting after a week of simply collapsing into bed after work. She then reaches over to Daphne who has trotted to the end of the bed, waiting for Vera to lift her down.

As quietly as she can, Vera slips from the room, dropping the pajamas into the laundry hamper by the door and glancing back at her girlfriend who was still asleep in the bed. Joan had shifted onto her back, the duvet falling to her waist and displaying her upper body. Her face is turned away, pointing towards Vera’s pillow, but her hair is splayed out around her head as it usually is after a night of sleep.

She’s got one hand under the pillow, and the other stretched out onto Vera’s side of the bed. From her place in the doorway, she can see the hickey on the underside of Joan’s right breast and the sight of it makes her grin. She knows for a fact that Joan had left her own marks on her too, and she would probably find them later when she showered.

She pulls the door partly shut and wanders downstairs, avoiding the creaky floorboard and lifting Daphne up to carry her down the stairs.

In the kitchen, she reaches for their favourite mugs, and puts Joan’s into the coffee machine, pressing the button for an Americano. She clicks the button to put the kettle on to boil, preferring to have a cup of tea instead of coffee first thing in the morning.

She slots bread into the toaster and starts putting some fruit in a bowl for the two of them to share in bed. She makes sure to slice some strawberries in half, knowing that Joan loved them. Some grapes, cherries, and slices of apple all go into the bowl. She eyes the watermelon slices in the fridge, and then puts two into the bowl as well.

Soon, she’s walking back up the stairs, a tray carefully held in both hands, Daphne trotting beside her with her favourite toy held in her mouth. The rabbit shaped squeaky toy was longer than the dog, and she gripped it by its ears, dragging it along, keeping up with Vera.

Using her foot, she pushes the door open and Daphne runs in, toy squeaking as she scampers to Joan’s side of the bed. Carefully, she places the tray on the nightstand and then perches on the edge of the bed, close to Joan’s side. Feeling playful, she leans over until her face is next to her girlfriend’s ear.

“Joan…” She breathes, watching for any reaction. Nothing.

“Joan…” She tries again. A twitch to her nose that time.

Time to bring out the big guns. “I have coffee for you, love.”

Joan’s head turns to face her without hesitation, her eyes blinking open sleepily and regarding the curly haired woman as she turns onto her side. Vera can feel her knees gently pressing into her back as Joan has curled around her.

“You are the most perfect human being I’ve ever met.” She sighs and Vera stifles her laugh. Whenever Vera brings her coffee, something along those lines is always said to her. It never got old, and it always made a fission of heat and excitement shoot through Vera’s stomach when she heard the words.

“I’ve got breakfast too,” She murmurs, as she feels Joan’s hand creep around her hips and rest on her right side, and she can feel the heat of her hand through the thin robe. “Budge up.”

Joan does as requested, shuffling sideways into the bed, leaving enough space for Vera to sit back against the cushions that she’s just moved away from, and she doesn’t bother to life the covers, which has Vera shooting an appreciative look to her chest. Carefully, Vera hands over Joan’s mug, steam rising from the top. Then she grasps the tray with both hands and moves so that it can be laid across both their laps.

Daphne, deciding that she’s had enough of being ignored, runs up the three little steps on Vera’s side of the bed and lays by the women’s feet, biting into the rabbit toy’s ear with a ferocity that isn’t often seen on the little dog.

They sit together and Vera tucks her legs back under the duvet as Joan makes herself comfortable against her shoulder. The toast is quickly eaten, but the strawberries and watermelon is savoured, by the both of them. Together, they appreciate the quiet, Joan resting her head on Vera’s shoulder as they both watch Daphne play with her toy at the bottom of the bed. She’s throwing it from one end of the bed to the other and then dragging it back.

“What do you want to do today? It’s a lovely day.” Joan says, eyeing the sunshine slipping in through the small gap in the curtains and sipping her coffee, careful not to burn her tongue. Vera is watching Daphne as she thinks and when the dog turns her head towards her, she gets an idea.

“We could take Daphne to the park? We haven’t been in ages, and it’s a lovely walk. And there’s a place there that she can go off-lead too. Maybe take her ball?” 

Joan looks at the little Dachshund, and then nods. “That’s not a bad idea actually. I didn’t realise quite how much energy she’s bottled up since this week has been so hectic.”

Plan made, they finish their coffee, and eventually pull themselves from the bed, planning on showering, and Joan quickly cuts off Vera’s statement that she’ll use the bathroom down the hall with a steamy kiss. Vera happily follows Joan into the en-suite and showering ends up taking far longer than both of them planned.

Eventually though, they’re both showered, and dressed and Joan was in the front hallway, putting her shoes on. Joan, ever prepared, has checked the weather, and it was promising to be a beautiful day with a breeze to keep away the worst of the heat. She’d decided on jeans, and a white v-necked shirt with sleeves that stopped at the elbow. She’d tucked the shirt into her jeans, which highlighted her waist and had dug out a pair of sandals, with black straps that wrapped around her ankle, and the bottom of her foot, leaving her toes exposed. Bright red toenails shined in the sunlight of the hallway.

Daphne had realised that Joan was digging through the little box by the door for her leash and her tiny harness. So she was currently making a nuisance of herself, nudging the black haired woman’s knee as Vera quickly piled the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher and walked out into the hallway with two large bottles of water.

In a floral blush pink and white summer-dress, Joan thought Vera looked lovely. The pink of the dress contrasted nicely with her tanned skin, and the straps on the shoulders, and cinched in waist highlighted her figure. White sandals, similar to those that Joan had decided on were on her feet, the only difference was that the front was rounded and covered her toes. She’d left her hair down, only clipping one annoying curl away from her face and the sun caught on the small earrings she wore in her ears. As she walked closer to Joan, the dress flowed around her legs, stopping just below mid-thigh.

She placed the two bottles of water into the tote-bag on the hallway table, and then double checked that they had Daphne’s smaller tennis ball, plus a spare along with the usual poo-bags, and her water bowl. She stashed a few treats in a plastic bag as well.

“Aha!” brings Daphne’s attention back to her mistress as she finally finds the white polka dot leash and harness that match the dog’s collar. Yapping excitedly, Joan ruffles Daphne’s head before rising to her feet, and handing both items to Vera, wrapping an arm around her waist as she does so.

“You look lovely today.” She murmurs as she presses a kiss below her ear. Vera turns and tugs gently on the gold locket around Joan’s neck. She’d bought the locket on their first anniversary, and in it was a picture of the two of them along with Daphne. The black-haired woman never took it off, except to shower.

“Charmer.” Is all she says as she rises onto her toes to press a kiss to Joan’s smiling lips. Daphne yaps with impatience as she winds herself between the two women’s legs.

“Alright, you furry gremlin, come on then!” Joan says, untangling herself from Vera and reaching over to open the door. The dog races outside and down the path. The two don’t worry where she’ll get to, Daphne had been well trained. They both knew the little dog would be sat by Joan’s car, staring at the door behind the driver’s seat, waiting for them.

They lock up, and turn towards the car in the driveway, and sure enough, there’s Daphne.

“Good girl.” Joan praises, and rubs her head as she lifts her, placing her in the little travel basket that they had for her, buckled into the backseat. Daphne settles inside on the blanket immediately, knowing the routine, and knowing that if she didn’t, then she’d go back in the house on her own until Vera and Joan came back.

* * *

Eventually, they make their way to Albert Park, finding a space and getting out of the car. It looked like a lot of people had the same idea as them. There was plenty of space in the park thankfully, and the two of them intended to walk through the park first, and then find a spot in the off-leash areas for Daphne to play fetch and run around in.

Vera grabs her bag, which Joan has snuck her purse into, whilst her phone has gone into her pocket. She digs around for the harness for the small dog, who has poked her head out of the top of the mesh basket now that Joan has unzipped the top. She’s looking around curiously, sat calmly on her little fuzzy blanket, waiting for Joan to clip the harness around her front legs.

Joan takes the offered harness and then leans into the backseat of the car, and Daphne lifts one paw. Joan quickly slips the harness around the Dachshunds’ upper body, and clicks it shut, checking that it isn’t too tight.

Daphne’s tail is wagging the entire time.

She stays seated when Joan leans over again with the leash, but her tail is wagging furiously enough to make the mesh basket quiver.

“Good girl.” She praises the little dog, rubbing behind her ears and smiling gently as Daphne leaned into her hand. She lifts her out of her basket, and places her on the ground, handing the leash to Vera so that she can close the door and lock the car. She quickly remembers to pull the sun reflector over the dashboard so that it blocks any sun from making the steering well too hot.

Then, with the car locked and Daphne barely holding onto her excitement to go to the park, they begin walking.

Joan takes the tote bag from Vera, waving off the concern of it being too heavy. They compromise and decide that Vera will carry it when Joan’s shoulder becomes sore. Vera holds onto the polka dot leash with one hand, and clasps Joan’s hand in the other.

They stroll down the pathway, Daphne trotting along next to them, sniffing things occasionally. The two women take their time, enjoying the sun, and the warmth of the day. They were cooped up more often than not during their work hours, so they both appreciate the chance to be themselves, and be outside at the same time.

“Do you think Daphne gets lonely, when we’re at work? Being at home on her own?” Vera asks, glancing at the woman next to her.

“Are you suggesting that we get another dog?”

“Well, it would keep her happy, wouldn’t it? Someone to play and keep her company when we aren’t there?”

Joan watches their dog, as she trots over and wags her tail at a little Maltese puppy that was stood on the grass. Vera allows Daphne to do the usual dog greeting of sniffing each other like crazy and then bouncing about excitedly.

Then, they continue walking on down the path, and both women notice the bouncier walk to the little dog.

“You might be onto something, you know.” Joan admits. She hadn’t thought of the little dog getting lonely when they were out of the house, and she feels a little guilty at not thinking of it before. Vera sees her downturned mouth and squeezes her hand.

“I only just thought of it myself, don’t feel guilty. I’m just thinking that she might have a little bit less energy if she has someone to play with during the day.”

They continue down the path, Daphne staying calm despite a Chihuahua puppy getting into her face and her personal space despite the growl of warning from the Dachshund, much to the owner’s embarrassment. Daphne had moved to sit between Vera and Joan as the two had looked at the owner with disapproval clear in their faces. He’d quickly picked up the tiny dog and hightailed his way down the path, away from them, the dog yapping and barking non-stop.

Joan looked down at Daphne who is looking up at her as if to say ‘ _Did you see that?_ ’

“I am so glad that you aren’t like that.” Daphne yips as if to agree with her, and then trots ahead, happy to continue down the path, the other people and dogs not bothering her one bit.

Eventually they arrive at the section of the park that is cordoned off as the off-leash area. It’s a large, green expanse of grass, with a lovely white fence and a gated entrance so that no dogs can run away from their owners. Joan crouches down to unclick Daphne’s leash and harness, and the dog shakes herself but doesn’t run off to prance about the grass yet, as neither woman had told her that she can yet.

There are other people there, sat on the grass or playing with their dogs, so Joan and Vera wonder closer towards the pond, away from any balls or frisbees that might go awry. Vera triumphantly digs out a small picnic blanket from the bag on her girlfriend’s shoulder, which Joan takes from her with a gentle kiss on the lips, and spreads it out on the grass. Daphne sits on one corner, waiting for her ball to emerge from the bag, knowing that neither woman would have forgotten it.

Vera and Joan settle on the blanket, leaning against each other, and Vera rummages in the bag.

“Ready, Daphne?” The dog is on her feet, tail wagging as she watches Vera’s hand, and when the woman throws the ball, she takes off in a blur of tan fur and excited panting. She finds the ball, and quickly sprints back to the pair sat on the blanket, and drops it at Joan’s feet. Leaning forward, Joan picks up the small pink tennis ball and gently throws it and chuckling as Daphne tore after it. When they see her make a leap and catch it in her mouth from mid-air, they clap and cheer her on, making her run in excited circles. They spend a few more minutes like this, with Daphne running back and forth, and Vera leans into Joan, who is leaning back against her hands behind her, and Vera rests her head in the crook of her neck, sighing happily.

“You know, people like to say that they want riches and big houses to be happy.”

Joan takes her eyes off Daphne, knowing that if any other dog tried to cause issues, Daphne would either sprint right back to them or would start barking. She gazes at Vera, with her head in her neck, and waits for her to continue. She knows that her girlfriend hadn’t finished her point.

“I think, that as long as I have you and our furry dog-child, I’m the happiest that I could ever be.”

It’s a very sweet sentiment and Joan feels her heart pound at the admission. They both knew that they loved each other, they said the words often, and showed it through actions, but this? This felt deeper. She tilts Vera’s head with her index finger, so that she can look in those eyes that caught her interest from the very first day that she’d met her. Contrary to popular belief, she hadn’t met Vera Bennett on her first day in Wentworth, she’d met her after the interview nearly two months earlier when she’d been leaving the building and they’d shared many an afternoon over coffee by the time she took over Wentworth. They’d been good friends by the time her first day had rolled around. They were dating before the end of her first month. And now, nearly two years later, here they were.

A mostly calm prison, an equal partnership in work and they shared their lives together. How nobody actually knew the extent of their relationship at work, she’d never know.

“I think you make me the happiest I’ve ever been, Vera Bennett.”

Vera’s face lights up, and she lifts herself slightly, to press a searing kiss to Joan’s lips. Vera’s fingers wind into the hair at the base of her neck, and she wraps her arm around Vera’s waist in return, holding her close.

They enjoy the moment, basking in the sunshine, among beautiful scenery.

It’s Daphne’s frantic barking and growling near their feet that alert them first. She’d laid down to rest on the grass by the bottom of the blanket, but had gotten to her feet to stand in-between them and the man currently storming his way up the slight incline from the pond. Her tail and ears up and alert, she’s warning the newcomer to keep his distance, not liking his body language.

It was Fletcher.

“Vera!” He bellows across the space, and the woman in question looks livid. Daphne continues to bark, only now it’s taking a threatening turn. Joan moves as if to stand, but Vera refuses to relinquish her hold on her.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing?!” He continues to stomp as he walks, not slowing down.

“Last I checked, I was enjoying the day with my girlfriend!” Vera is too angry to care that she’s causing a scene, too infuriated that this man, her colleague, has any kind of say in her life whatsoever. “What’s it got to do with you?!”

They’ve drawn the attention of everyone in the off-leash area, and most are looking concerned that the two women with the cute dog who’d been doing nothing but enjoying the day were being set upon by a random man. Two men rise from their place further down on the grass, where they were sat with a picnic and their King Charles Spaniel, worrying that the two women, who are obviously together, may about to become victims of a homophobic attack.

Daphne still hasn’t moved from her place between her owners and Fletcher. Fletcher, too infuriated by the heated kiss he saw between the two. Between Vera, who he’d always wanted and Joan _fucking_ Ferguson who was the biggest hardass on the planet. The two had looked cosy, obviously comfortable with each other, and he’s too furious thinking about it, running it over and over in his head that he doesn’t hear the pained yelp come from the small dog until it’s too late. Vera hurls a full water bottle at his head ti get him to back away, the thunking sound missed in the commotion as both women jump up and rush to where Daphne was laying on her side in the grass, panting where Fletch’s boot had hit her side as he’d stomped past and the two men are now running, their spaniel following close behind.

Joan runs her hands over Daphne worriedly, but when the small dog catches her fingers with her tongue, she breathes a sigh of relief. She presses lightly on the Dachshund’s side, and when she doesn’t feel any flinching, or hear any whining, she scoops her up into her arms, whispering reassurances and giving ear rubs. With a steely glare towards the man who’s found himself unable to go anywhere due to the two men stood behind him, and the others now stood nearer, she turns and gently places Daphne into Vera’s arms, with all the care of a mother cradling her baby.

Joan wastes no time in walking straight up to the man, matching him in height and standing practically nose to nose with him.

“I don’t know what the _fuck_ your issue is, but I’m going to give you some solid advice. Whoever Vera decides to be with, is her choice. Whatever she decides to do with her life, is her choice. You are _nothing_ to her. You are a colleague, that she tolerates to avoid causing an issue in work.”

“I’m more than that!”

“No, you fucking aren’t, Fletch.” Vera has come to stand next to her girlfriend, reaching out to hold her hand in support. “How many times have I told you that I wasn’t interested?!”

“I wouldn’t have bothered if I’d known you were a fucking cunt loving DYK-“ The slur is cut off as Joan swings for him, seeing red as her fist hits his cheek solidly, and making him stagger back and hold the left side of his face. How dare he think of calling Vera such a thing?!

_How fucking dare he?!_

“That’s assault! I want her charged!” He shouts, looking around at the crowd for any kind of support, and finding none. He gets shaking heads, and crossed arms paired with angry looks as he feels a tap on his shoulder. Fletch turns, and his face loses all colour.

One of the men behind him holds his police badge up.

“Mate, I’d suggest you leave whilst you can still walk. Because if that one over there doesn’t break you in half, my husband might.” He gestures with his head to Joan, who is rubbing her knuckles as Vera winds her arm around her middle and then towards the man next to him, who’s glaring at him and looking far bigger than Fletch is.

Stuttering, Fletch tries to bluster and posture his way out of this one. “She hit me! You all saw it!”

“I didn’t see SHIT!” One male voice calls from the back of the small crowd.

“None of us did! All we saw was a woman defend herself and her girlfriend! AFTER you booted her dog, you cunt! Who the fuck boots a dog, man?!” Another voice called out, sounding angry.

The police officer’s husband takes one step forward, crossing his arms and Fletch flinches back. The left side of his face is quickly becoming purple where Joan’s fist had hit home, and he staggers away, rushing out of the gate and storming down the path.

The crowd quickly disperses, some coming forward to check that Joan, Vera and Daphne are alright and then backing off as soon as they’ve confirmed that they’re okay.

The policeman walks closer to them, his husband and spaniel following.

“Detective Jameson. I’d shake your hand but its probably sore.” He nods his head instead, which the two women return. “For future reference, you usually get one hit before police have to step in, if that idiot wants to start something again. But you didn’t hear that from me.” He winks, and the two grin back at him.

“If you want to make a statement against him, I can arrange that for you. Verbal harassment and aggression, in the very least.” He offers, and watches as the two women share a glance and then shake their heads.

“I think he’s gotten the message.” Vera says as Joan nods.

“He might not have a job tomorrow, but he’ll definitely leave us alone.” Joan comments.

Jameson’s husband whistles, loudly. “He tried to be homophobic to his boss? Not the sharpest knife in the drawer is he?”

“Excuse me?” A teenage girl walks up to them, a ziploc bag filled with ice wrapped in a paper towel, obviously from a cooler, in her hand. “Here, this is for your hand.” She offers it to Joan, who takes it with a quiet thank you, and a grateful look. The girl can't be older than fifteen, and she has black hair cut short, dramatic eyeliner and black lipstick. On the one ear that isn’t covered by her hair, Joan can see multiple piercings, and she’s wearing a black t-shirt with ripped black jeans.

“Don’t let him ruin your day.” She says. Another teenager comes up to her side, a long haired blonde wearing a pink summer-dress covered in glittery strawberries that reaches mid-thigh and bright eyeliner this time. She grasps onto the first teenager’s hand.

“You were so cool!” She gushes, looking between Vera and Joan. “I hope your dog will be okay!”

Daphne perks her head up in Vera's arms as if to say “ _you talkin’ to me?”_

After some more chit chat, and another grateful thank you to the teenagers for the ice, Joan and Vera return to their blanket, pouring out some water for Daphne in her bowl, which she drinks happily.

They stay at the park until nearly 2pm, Daphne sticking close to them now, and when they begin the walk back to the car, Joan carries her, both women glad that she was only startled by the kick from Fletch instead of seriously hurt.

“So when are we getting another dog, then?” Joan asks, and Vera rewards her with a solid kiss to the cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this! And I always love suggestions, requests and prompts! 
> 
> Thank you as always you lovely people! <3


End file.
